Thursday, May 29, 2014

Phenomenal, Always

Such a loss, such a life. Maya Angelou’s passing yesterday feels significant because it is significant. The world has lost a friend. One of her greatest gifts, besides her words and wisdom, was her generosity of spirit. She made every single one of us feel like she cared about us, because she did. Her gentleness in the face of a life filled with several lives worth of hardship never ceases to amaze. A kind light has left us, but her heart remains eternal.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Maya made us all feel human, that most basic connection that binds us despite differences in our skin or our loves or our languages or our backgrounds. She was the rainbow in all of our clouds. Her spirit rises with us still, always. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

When public figures die, I am not usually affected. I don't know them. But if you've ever read Maya Angelou's works, it is impossible to not feel this loss. The heart of the human community is a bit less strong today.